Director of Engineering

DAVRON CV: Candidate 3812032

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & ENGINEERING LEADER | NPD, DFM, TOOLING & IP

Core Expertise

• Leading cross-functional product development teams from concept through commercialization and production tooling.
• Designing mechanical and electromechanical products with emphasis on DFM, overmolding, and plastic resins.
• Managing global supplier networks and offshore manufacturing for quality, cost, and on-time delivery.
• Developing intellectual property portfolios, coordinating patent activities, and strengthening product differentiation.
• Implementing process improvements that reduced launch timelines and scaled new-product launch capacity significantly.

Project Background

• Delivered consumer, medical, industrial, power-tool, and plumbing products from prototype to mass production.
• Led high-volume launches generating revenue while achieving target gross margins and retail pricing.
• Established standardized tooling qualification and resin approval procedures, shortening launch timelines by months.
• Coordinated international supplier evaluations, onsite capability assessments, and supplier selection for complex components.
• Directed innovation initiatives using Voice of Customer and outcome-driven research to prioritize product opportunities.

Key Skills

• SolidWorks | Pro/ENGINEER | CAD/CAE for mechanical and electromechanical design and analysis
• Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFM/A) with focus on injection molding and overmolding
• Production tooling qualification, supplier development, and offshore manufacturing coordination for scale-up
• Prototyping, rapid iteration, validation testing, and product verification to meet consumer requirements
• Patent development, IP strategy, and liaison with legal counsel for invention capture and protection
• Cross-functional leadership, project management, budgeting, and mentoring of engineering teams
• Six Sigma methodologies, value engineering, and process improvement to reduce cost and cycle time

Education

• Master of Product Design & Development — Northwestern University, McCormick School of Engineering
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering — Illinois Institute of Technology
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering; Minor in Electrical Engineering — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Awards & Recognition

• Six Sigma Green Belt certification — American Society for Quality, applied to product development process improvements
• Company-level 'Act with Accountability' award for operational leadership and execution

Why Interview this Candidate?

Thirty-plus-year product development leader with a proven record of launching patented, commercially successful products. Demonstrated ability to shorten launch timelines, expand engineering capacity, and manage global manufacturing and intellectual property. Hands-on mechanical and electromechanical expertise coupled with mentoring experience enables immediate impact on product-development organizations.